DISCLAIMER:: do not own. just borrowing for purpose of creative expression. no profit obtained.
A/N:: worked really hard to finish this update today because i have no idea when i'll be able to post again. it might not be sooner than july 5 as the next two weeks will be seriously busy. but i may sneak an update in before then. we'll see. read and enjoy. review if you feel so inclined.
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-Chapter 31: Why Are We Pretending This Is Nothing?-
Emma picked up her alarm clock, the digital red letters glaringly informing her that it was six in the morning and she tossed it against the wall. Mary woke at precisely five forty-five every morning so she had no fear of waking her with the crash the alarm clock made against the wall as it broke apart. She'd need to buy a new one now, but stubbornly, she didn't care. She highly doubted anything important would have happened. Rumpelstiltskin's allusion about the hour growing late implied that he already knew of her condition. In which case, he would have expected her to be called back. But she had at least wished to get inside and curl up with her… queen and their daughter first.
A knock came at the door and Emma pulled her duvet over her head with a groan as it opened a crack.
Mary surveyed the broken pieces of plastic and parts near the wall and was quickly able to deduce what had happened. "Emma?"
"Nobody's home. Please return when the hour can be labeled as something other than ungodly."
Mary rolled her eyes and stepped fully into the small bedroom. She reached for the light switch by the door and flipped it on, bringing the gloom into startling brightness. "Time to get up. You'll be late."
Emma cried out in surprise and withdrew deeper into her blankets.
Mary reached down and grabbed the duvet, whipping it off the bed, and therefore the blonde, with a flourish.
Emma, currently curled up on her bed in the fetal position, opened one eye and glared at her roommate.
Mary shrugged, setting the duvet down in a pile at the foot of the bed, just out of the blonde's reach. "I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't. If I wasn't making you get up right now then later, after you'd miss the opportunity to take your son to school, you'd say that I should have insisted you get up."
Emma grumbled something incoherent. She knew Mary was right. She didn't get to spend much time with Henry as it was, not to mention how livid Regina would be if she didn't show up. She was already going to be mad enough when she found out that Emma was serious about putting the kibosh to their sexual rendezvous time. The mayor wanted to be fickle and distant, fine, Emma could be too.
She sat up. "Fine, I'm up."
Mary smiled. "I'll have coffee waiting." She looked at her watch. "Make that to go. You have to be at the mayor's house in twenty minutes."
"Thank God I thought to take my shower last night." She got up and went about the usual morning routine.
Seven minutes later she emerged downstairs.
Mary didn't even look up from the book she was engrossed in as she held up the travel mug.
Emma whisked it out of her hand on her way past and to the door. "Thanks Mary." She was out the door and down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her, praying that her car would be agreeable and let her in on the first try today.
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"Miss Swan. Right on time once again. You're becoming quite good at keeping your appointments." Regina gave her that sickly sweet and entirely fake smile as she greeted her from the open doorway. Despite the early hour, she was dressed in her usual pressed slacks, tailored blazer, button up shirt combo. Ever ready to screw the world over.
"Morning Madam Mayor." Emma rubbed the sleep from her eyes, thanking whatever higher power was looking out for her that she'd made it on time. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with one of Regina's foul moods. Despite the fake smile, the woman seemed cheerful enough, for her anyway, and Emma decided she wanted to keep her that way. "Why the early hour?"
Regina opened the door wider and stepped aside, gesturing with a hand for Emma to come in. "I thought you might like to have breakfast with us Miss Swan."
"Breakfast?" Emma raised a skeptical eyebrow but entered the pristine house anyway.
"Yes breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day you know. Coffee, which I'm sure is your preference, is hardly an adequate replacement." Regina closed the door behind her, her hand slipping discreetly to the small of Emma's back, causing an involuntary shiver to race up her spine.
Emma pulled away with a jerk and frowned at her.
If Regina was dismayed by her reaction, she chose not to show it. She gestured towards the kitchen. "I was just finishing making it. Henry will be down shortly. If you'll follow me." She strode straight past Emma.
Emma sighed and followed. How had she known this morning wasn't going to be simple?
"You do like omelets, don't you Miss Swan?" Regina didn't even glance over her shoulder but somehow knew the exact moment she'd entered the kitchen.
Emma shrugged. "They're fine."
"What do you like in yours?"
Again Emma shrugged. "The usual I guess."
"I have mine with avocado, cheese, and bacon. Henry has just cheese. Which usual?"
"Henry's."
Regina nodded and tossed more cheese onto the omelet she was making.
Emma took in the egg whites, lowfat cheese, and turkey bacon. Poor kid, even breakfast was healthy. "Do you want me to set the table?"
"That would be very helpful Miss Swan. Thank you."
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Henry's fork slid across his plate with a screech as he scooped up the last bite.
Both Emma and Regina flinched at the sound.
"Go put your plate in the sink and grab your backpack. I don't want you to be late."
Henry nodded and, after depositing his dishes in the sink, raced out of the room. They both relaxed a little as they heard his little feet pounding up the stairs.
Emma had finished her omelet first. She had never had an egg white omelet and she had to admit she enjoyed it immensely. Regina ate much slower, half hers still remained. Emma reached over with her fork to snag a piece, but Regina slapped her hand away. Emma pouted.
Regina took the piece the blonde had been aiming to snag onto her own fork and held it up to the blonde's mouth with a quirked eyebrow.
So the woman wanted to feed her now? Emma narrowed her eyes but she leaned forward, wrapping her mouth around the fork, tasting not only the flavour of the omelet, but Regina's mouth as well. She closed her eyes as Regina pulled the fork back out from between her lips. Emma felt some of the avocado at the corner of her mouth and she grabbed her napkin to wipe it away, but a hand on her wrist stopped her and then Regina was leaning over and licking the offending remnants away. Emma's eyes fell closed once more and she had to use all her will power to stifle a groan.
After a painstakingly long moment, Regina made herself pull back and resume eating her breakfast as if she hadn't just almost kissed Miss Swan. She'd gotten dangerously close to those lips. Just another inch over and bingo! She couldn't let this happen. She's wanted Miss Swan's body, and her heart, but not at the expense of her own. No, she needed to keep control of this.
Emma stared at the woman next to her. It was the closest Regina had come to kissing her in the whole time they'd been together. Like Emma being inside her, it was something she simply did not allow. Emma could easily guess why. It was the whole true love's kiss debacle. She reached under the table, her hand finding Regina's knee, the brunette not even breaking her even chewing at the contact. She slid her hand steadily upwards, sliding across the fabric of her trousers until she came to the apex of her thighs. She cupped the brunette through the fabric and only then did Regina even react in the least.
Regina set down her fork and knife and looked at Emma, finally giving the blonde her undivided attention.
Emma saw want burning in the mayor's eyes, a lust and desire so tangible that the air now seemed thick with it. It became clear to her then, just how much of an upper hand she had here. Regina may have started this thinking she held most of the cards, but her eyes were currently revealing her entire hand to Emma. She wanted the blonde, but a part of her was fighting it, a strong part, that's why she had yet to give in. But she'd break eventually, Emma could see it now. She went to remove her hand but was surprised when the brunette clamped her thighs together, effectively trapping it there. Pounding sounded on the stairs. Henry was coming back now. She looked at Regina in a panic.
The brunette just smirked and raised her eyebrows in challenge.
Henry came into the room and Emma tried to appear as nonchalant as one could possibly be with their hand pressed deliciously against someone's crotch.
"Emma, we're going to be late. It's already seven thirty."
Emma nodded. She used her free hand to toss him the keys. "Go get in the car. I'll be right there."
He looked between her and Regina suspiciously before nodding and disappearing back across the foyer and out the front door.
Emma's head whipped back to Regina. "Give me back my hand!"
Regina smirked. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to start something you can't finish?"
Something dark crossed Emma's features and with a sudden burst of strength and willpower, she yanked her hand free. She grabbed her dishes and took them to the sink.
Regina frowned at both the sudden lack of contact and the sudden change in the blonde's mood. Had she really upset her that much by holding her hand against her? Wasn't this what she claimed to be wanting? "Miss Swan?"
"Screw you." She walked back to the table and grabbed her jacket. "Excuse me Madam Mayor, but I have to get our son to school and I'm already late. Thank you for breakfast."
Regina stood. "Miss Swan?"
"Save it Regina." Emma escaped out into the foyer, the brunette hot on her tail.
"Emma!"
Emma turned around just as she reached the door. "What?"
Regina's mouth opened and closed a couple times before, "You're upset." It was all she could manage to come up with.
Emma sighed. She heard the horn blare from her car. "I have to go."
"Tell me why."
Emma closed her eyes as she reached for the handle on the front door. "My mother never taught me anything. My mother was taken from me." She took a deep breath. "Have a good day Madam Mayor." She opened the door and disappeared out into the morning air.
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"You look like you got run over by a bulldozer."
Emma glared hellishly at the man behind the bars. "And you look like you got into a drunken bar fight with three guys half your age, oh wait, that's cause you did."
Leroy frowned. "Geez sister, who got your knickers in a twist?" He turned away from the bars and slouched back over to the little cot.
She was too upset to care that she'd hurt his feelings.
"Deputy Swan, can I see you in my office for a moment?" Graham leaned out the door of his small office and gave her a pointed look.
Emma sighed and trudged into the office. Great, as if her day wasn't already crappy enough, she was now going to get reprimanded by her boss.
The second she closed the door, Graham let out a heavy sigh. "What'd you do to Regina now?"
Emma raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Excuse me? I didn't do anything to her."
Graham frowned. "This is the first time she has ever called me and asked from an impromptu meeting. She wants me to hightail it over to the bed and breakfast right now."
Emma shrugged. "What she chooses to do with her Tuesdays is none of my business."
"So you're not going to tell me not to go? You're not going to take my place?" He seemed almost fearful.
Emma shrugged. "I'm sorry Graham. I already told her I'm not sleeping with her anymore. If she wants to fill my absence with someone else, there's nothing I can do to stop her." She turned back for the door. "I'll hold down the fort, you go and… rock out."
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The door opened. "So nice to see you Mis…What are you doing here?" Regina glared at the sheriff.
Graham frowned. "You called and told me to come?" He raised an eyebrow. Now he was getting in trouble for obeying orders? Well this was new.
"I assumed Miss Swan would take your place." She shut the door.
"You two should really learn to communicate better. If you wanted Emma here, you should have just called her and asked her to come."
Regina rolled her eyes. "I don't want Miss Swan to know that I want her here."
"So you call and invite me in the hopes that she'll insist on taking my place to keep you from sleeping with someone else." Graham shook his head. "Do you realize how twisted that is? You two need to get over yourselves and admit you like each other."
Regina crossed her arms and glared at him. "I could care less about Miss Swan."
He stood and pulled her to him, kissing her neck.
Regina pushed him off with a disgusted look. "Don't touch me!"
He nodded and smirked. "Exactly my point." He grabbed his jacket off the bed. "She cares for you Regina, more than anyone in this town ever has. I have no idea why since you treat her like crap. But when she even hears your name, she gets this far off look in her eye, like she's remembering a side of you that no one here has ever seen. She genuinely wants to see you happy, which is more than can be said for anyone else in town. Don't screw that up yea?" He grabbed for the door. "Goodbye Mayor Mills. I have a feeling we'll be seeing slightly less of each other."
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"Have fun?" Emma glanced at the coffee he plunked on the desk in front of her as if it were tainted.
Graham shrugged. "It was a nice meeting."
Emma face pinched into a look of disgust. "Figures." She glanced at the clock, got up and went over to the cell. She unlocked it and gave Leroy a pointed look. "Get outta here. And no more playing superman with the twentysomethings."
Leroy stalked past her, giving an unintelligible grumble in response and leaving the station.
She stomped back over to her desk and grabbed the coffee, knocking half of it back in one go like a shot of tequila. "I don't know why I'm surprised. Maybe I was hoping I'd mean more to her than that. Just proves how wrong a girl can be."
Graham chuckled. "You both are the blindest people I've ever met."
Emma shot a glare his way.
"Regina wanted you to come. That's why she invited me."
Emma frowned. "I don't get it."
"The past two Saturdays, you've been there to spoil our meetings. I think she expects you to come whenever she calls for me. She walked into that room expecting to find you there. Something tells me whatever happened between you two when you picked Henry up for school this morning is weighing heavily on her mind."\
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"Good afternoon Deputy Swan." The mayor's secretary looked up from her desk.
Emma waved at the young woman, a pretty young thing with light brown hair by the name of Misty. "Is she alone?"
Misty nodded. "Shall I announce you?"
Emma shook her head. "No, I just need to speak with her for a moment. It's better if she doesn't know I'm here."
Misty frowned but didn't stop her as she stormed past her to the double doors. She opened them and slipped into the mayor's office, closing them behind her.
Regina looked up, her surprise evident on her face. She stood and came around the desk. "Miss Swan, what…"
Emma threw her arms around Regina's neck and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you." She felt tears sting the back of her eyes but she refused to let them fall. This wasn't about a tearful breakdown.
"Miss Swan?" Regina didn't hug her back, but she didn't push her away either, merely put a hand on her hip to let her know she was there in her own distant way.
"Thank you for not sleeping with him." She gave her a squeeze before pulling back and dropping her arms to her sides. Without thinking about it, she leaned in and brushed her lips across Regina's cheek.
"Miss Swan."
Emma stepped back. "I know. I know. I'll leave."
"Come to dinner Miss Swan."
Emma's head snapped up in surprise. "What?"
"I'm inviting you to dinner." Regina's face was giving nothing away, but for once the blonde didn't mind. In fact, it was almost comforting.
Emma nodded. "I'll see you at…"
"Seven."
"Seven it is then. Have a good rest of day Madam Mayor." She hightailed it out of there before Regina decided to rescind the offer.
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"You're home! Good!" Mary beamed from behind the counter. "I was thinking we could do Sunday night dinner at the diner. August, Ruby, Graham, and Ashley are going to be there."
Emma smiled. "As much fun as having dinner with my former best friend, my new best friend, her friends, and my boss sounds, I have plans already. But say hi to everyone for me."
"Dinner with the mayor again."
Emma's face pinched in dismay at the disappointment in Mary's tone. "Actually I have decided to join a traveling circus."
Mary rolled her eyes. She grabbed her purse and sweater from the edge of the counter. "Have fun."
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Dinner was a quiet yet comfortable affair, followed by some animated movie than Emma had trouble paying attention to. Every couple minutes she'd find herself stealing glances at the brunette until halfway through the film when she excused herself to go do the dishes. She wasn't interested in what they were watching anyway and it would provide adequate distance and therefore distraction from the brunette.
"You don't have to do that you know."
Of course Regina would follow her. She was stupid to think she'd be able to end this night unscathed. "I know, but I like doing it." She ran the sponge across the surface of the plate.
Regina's hands slid onto her hips and up her sides.
Emma allowed the contact because that was all she was going to concede to the brunette. She'd meant it when she told her their little trysts had to end. She needed to get her head on straight and sort out all these feelings and she couldn't do that and be intimate with Regina Mills at the same time, obviously. Her feelings, obviously one-sided, for the mayor were clouding her judgment, making her question her desire to choose the Enchanted Forest.
Regina moved her hair to one side and placed a kiss on the back of her neck.
Emma continued to wash the dishes as Regina's hands slipped under her shirt and caressed the bare flesh of her abdomen. Finally she set the last dish in the dry rack, washed her hands and wiped them off with a dish towel before turning in the embrace.
Regina smiled at her, pressing her back against the edge of the counter and kissing her neck.
Emma smiled, her eyes falling closed. "As wonderful as this is, I should say goodnight to Henry and be off."
Regina smirked against the skin of her collarbone. "Oh really? Do you have somewhere better to be Miss Swan?"
Emma was about to answer in the negative when her mind flashed to the long haired Queen and the little girl waiting for her on the other side of sleep. She gently grasped Regina's forearms and pushed her back. "I don't know if I'd say better, but just as important." She leaned forward and kissed Regina's cheek. "Thank you for dinner. I enjoy spending time with you, both of you. But I should be getting home."
Regina looked completely puzzled but Emma didn't have time to dwell on it. She swept through the den, placing a kiss on top of Henry's head. "Night kid."
He didn't look up from the screen. "Night Emma."
She grabbed her jacket and headed straight out the front door. It was time to get home.